Easy Sopes Recipe (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Are you in the mood for an authentic Mexican dish that is simple to make at home?

We have an easy sopes recipe that's going to transport your taste buds straight to central Mexico, where it all began.

Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and loaded with toppings.

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Jump to:

• 📖 About
• 🍲 Key ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🌡️ Storage
• 💭 Pro tips
• 🍴 Tasting notes
• 📋 Recipe
• ♻️ Similar recipes
• 💬 FAQ

📖 About

This is hands down the best Mexican dish we've ever eaten (we swear we're not dramatic).

But seriously, have you heard of sopes before? If you haven't, don't worry.

They're not too common in North America unless you have Mexican roots or get a chance to eat at an authentic restaurant.

Sopes belong to the food family antojitos (or little cravings) and are usually found in street stalls or served as appetizers.

These little bites are an essential part of Mexican culture.

Broken down — what you have is a thick corn tortilla with ridges (to keep all the goods from falling off). It's then lightly fried and topped with refried beans, vegetables, and different salsas.

This dish is often garnished with shredded beef, pork, or chicken. So, we decided to put a vegan twist on sopes for those of you that love Mexican food but aren't into eating meat and dairy!

We love this recipe because the toppings are extremely customizable to your taste preferences or to use up what you have on hand.

Just don't leave out one topping — a big dollop of refried beans before adding the rest of the garnishes! After that, it's totally up to you.

We provide lots of ideas in the key ingredients section, but we love them with Mexican crema, vegan queso fresco, pickled jalapeños, salsa fresca, avocado, and cilantro.

This combo is out of control good.

Well friends, we hope you enjoy these vegan, gluten-free, and authentic Mexican sopes.

🍲 Key ingredients

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

Masa harina

What it is: this "dough flour" is often confused with regular corn flour, but it's not quite the same. Before being rinsed and ground into flour, masa harina is soaked in lime water (not actual lime and water).

This process infuses the flour with minerals and helps our bodies digest it more easily.

You can purchase yellow, white, or blue varieties of masa. In this particular recipe, we used white.

Taste: once cooked, masa has a corn flavor (no kidding) with a slight sweetness. This is what provides an authentic Mexican flavor. You will see a huge list of traditional Mexican meals that start with masa and water.

Health: compared to flour, corn has a slight edge in the health department due to the higher fiber content. Plus, masa contains a lofty amount of vitamin B3 (aka niacin), which helps reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol).

Where to buy: we use the brand Maseca, which is found all over Mexico. If you're in North America and live near a Mexican grocery store, that's great! Otherwise, look in the international aisle of most supermarkets. Check out the FAQ on our corn tortilla post or this one if you're having any issues.

Refried beans

Taste: you'd be hard-pressed to find a sopes recipe without homemade refried beans on the bottom layer. They have a slightly sweet, creamy texture, which pairs perfectly with the crispy corn base.

Health: because they're made from black beans (or pinto or bayo), refried beans are beneficial to your heart from their potassium, iron, and manganese content. They're also filled with plant-based protein (15 grams per cup!!).

Garnishes

This is where the fun starts.

Choose whichever amazing toppings your little heart desires. But, no sopes are complete without Mexican crema or queso fresco.

We love garnishing them with salsa fresca for a pop of color and zesty flavor. They're also ridiculously good with a tasty salsa roja or salsa verde.

If you're in the mood for an extra creamy snack, try adding cubed avocado, guacamole, or avocado cream sauce.

🔪 Instructions

If you run into any issues, check out the FAQ section below the recipe card for some common questions asked about this recipe.

Dough

Step 1: mix the masa harina, salt, and water to form your dough (just like in corn tortilla making). Knead the dough to form a ball that's sticky enough to stay together, but not come off on your hands. Keep mixing and pressing with your palm for a few minutes.

Step 2: break off pieces of dough to form small balls (about the size of a golf ball). You should get about 9-10 sopes out of this recipe, but make more if you're looking for one-bite sopes.

Press

Step 3: if you have a tortilla press, cut a zip lock bag into 2 pieces that will fit into the press. Open the press and place a ball of dough in the center on a piece of plastic. Place the other plastic piece on top and close the press down quite gently to form thick tortillas (about ¼-inch).

Note: If you don't have a tortilla press, place your ball of dough between the same 2 pieces of plastic on your counter and press down with a flat-bottom baking dish or plate.

Cook

Step 4: preheat a cast-iron skillet up to medium-low or medium (medium-low works best on our stove). Then, add a sope in and cook on the first side for 60-70 seconds. Flip and cook for another 60-90 seconds, or until you see brown spots forming.

Step 5: remove the sope from heat and let it rest while you add in the next one. After about 30-60 seconds, pull a little dough from the inner portion of the cooked sope and pinch it out to the edge with your thumb and index finger to form a ridge all the way around.

Step 6: Cover the sope with a tea towel, and repeat this process until they're all cooked.

Serving

Step 7: shallow fry each sope on both sides on medium-low or medium (depending on your stove). We find about 20-30 seconds on each side works best to turn them a nice light gold color. Transfer the sopes to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of any excess oil.

Step 8: serve these bad boys with a layer of refried beans on the bottom. Top them with any of the following: salsa fresca, avocado cubes, vegan queso fresco, vegan Mexican crema, cilantro, lime wedges, or hot sauce. Enjoy!

🌡️ Storage

We don't recommend storing sopes fully dressed in your fridge or freezer. The following will discuss how to store the corn base:

Keeping warm: it's important to keep the sopes warm while you cook them the first time (the dry skillet cook, not the shallow fry). Cover them with a tea towel after they're cooked and you've pinched the edges.

Fridge: these store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. If you don't think you'll make sopes for a while, we recommend freezing them right away.

Freezer: store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 6-8 months. When you feel like sopes, thaw the amount you want in your fridge overnight and they'll be soft in the morning!

Reheating: since we recommend storing sopes before their fried in oil, the best method to reheat is by shallow frying each one on medium-low or medium heat for about 20-30 seconds per side. If you prefer these oil-free, heat each side for 30-45 seconds in a dry skillet over medium.

💭 Pro tips

Time to share our tips and tricks we learned while perfecting this recipe for you:

• For the best results, ensure you're using a cast-iron skillet.
• If you want smaller, bite-sized sopes, split this recipe into 14-16 pieces instead of 9-10.
• Use a thermometer to dial in your oil temperature during the shallow fry (350-375 degrees F).
• Don't forget to make refried beans from scratch. They taste so much better.

🍴 Tasting notes

We would give our right arms for these sopes, and we have a feeling you might too. They're:

• Authentic
• Flavorful
• Crispy
• Vegan
• Gluten-free

If you try these antojitos, please rate them and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!

📋 Recipe

♻️ Similar recipes

For more Mexican-inspired dishes, check out our:

• Crispy black bean tacos for an easy weekday meal smothered in avocado cream sauce.
• Black bean soup for a protein and fiber-packed meal that's perfectly spiced and authentically Mexican.
• Sweet potato and bean enchiladas if you like your tortillas stuffed with wholesome ingredients and covered in enchilada sauce.
• Southwest sweet potato & black bean salad for an easy recipe rich in flavor and great for barbecues!

💬 FAQ